StockNews.com Downgrades Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) to Hold

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday.

PM has been the topic of several other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Philip Morris International from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, January 16th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Philip Morris International has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $134.35.

Philip Morris International Trading Up 1.1 %

PM opened at $148.17 on Monday. Philip Morris International has a 1-year low of $87.82 and a 1-year high of $148.53. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $125.98 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $124.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $230.38 billion, a PE ratio of 32.85, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.55.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.06. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 9.24% and a negative return on equity of 120.08%. On average, research analysts predict that Philip Morris International will post 7.11 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Philip Morris International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 53.7% in the fourth quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. lifted its stake in Philip Morris International by 457.5% in the 3rd quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 223 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its position in Philip Morris International by 203.8% during the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 240 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 78.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Philip Morris International

Philip Morris International Inc operates as a tobacco company working to delivers a smoke-free future and evolving portfolio for the long-term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products primarily under the IQOS and ZYN brands; and consumer accessories, such as lighters and matches.